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I mean the Declaration of Independence was pretty clearly a strong statement against the whole concept of "unincorporated territories", but what's obligatory on
by kolpa 9y ago
I mean the Declaration of Independence was pretty clearly a strong statement against the whole concept of "unincorporated territories", but what's obligatory on the goose isn't always accepted by the gander.
- jcranmer 9y agoSCOTUS has more or less ruled that the Bill of Rights applies to unincorporated territories (and even extraterritorial jurisdiction, as Bush Jr. found out). One complication is that, as the Declaration of Independence forcefully points out, the fundamental issue is the right of people to alter their government if they view it as destructive to inalienable, natural rights--and most of the people in these territories actually like the status quo political situation (cf. the several Puerto Rico status referendums which generally all signify a plurality preference for status quo, even if the legal viability of the status quo is questionable).